Lonely Once- Never Again
by Pugslover
Summary: Madeline Williams was used to being unnoticed by others. Ivan Braginsky was used to being feared by others. They weren't used to each other though! What will happen when the giant Ivan meets the tiny Madeline? Will they help fill the holes in each others' hearts?
1. Chapter 1

Wow…another new story…well, if you've read any of my other fanfics, you'll note that I am rather…slow…at updating them. Well, I've gotta take whatever inspiration I can get! I make no promises for regular updates! Just to write the best I can! :3 Enjoy~!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Hetalia.**

Chapter 1: _Prologue_

Madeline Williams is a soft spoken woman. With her long, wavy blond hair and impossibly large, violet/cerulean blue eyes, she was quite the beauty. Of course, being that she was a serious and strict, not only with others but herself as well, she took great care of her physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Now most would say, "Hey! What about her social life?" but that has been left out due to a…er…superior lack thereof. Anyways, because of that, she was a very healthy little lady. With a slim figure and no evidence of sleep deprivation visible anywhere, nobody could deny that she was the picture of health!

Forever eating a healthy and well-timed diet, always jogging first thing in the morning with her pet polar bear, more like best -and only- friend, Kumajiro, or Kuma for short, who can always be seen waddling behind her by at least five of her paces, earning a living by working at a live-in library as the librarian, none can deny that her life is well-balanced.

…Except for the percentage of the female population that believes she hasn't lived till she's met a man…

A-HEM!

Well, that's her life in a nutshell. Living in a quiet Canadian suburb at her family's library/bookstore, passing each day by peacefully- except for hockey season.

Her cousin, better known as Alfred Jones, lives in America with his mom, Alice Kirkland (she never really thought the last name 'Jones' stuck). They visit each other frequently since Alfred, who refuses to say it out loud, worries about his smaller, seemingly weaker cousin. Madeline watches over her family's business since her father, Francis Bonnefoy, likes to travel a LOT. She doesn't mind that she has her own mothers' maiden name. She couldn't help but cringe at the strange sound of _Madeline Bonnefoy _every time the name was uttered. But she loves her family dearly, as they love her.

Life was continuing on in the usual fashion: wake up at six in the morning, wake up Kuma, use the bathroom, get dressed for the day, comb through her ridiculously wavy hair and put it up in a low ponytail, fix for herself and Kuma breakfast, read the newspaper for thirty minutes, go for a jog for an hour, be back at the house a little after eight, get a quick shower, blow-dry her hair and put it in another low ponytail, get dressed in a plain red sweater and black jeans, slip on her nice shoes and move into the front part of the house.

The library opens up promptly at nine in the morning and she wouldn't have it any other way. Grabbing her reading glasses, she slipped them on and, grateful for the glare they provided to shield her strange eyes from others who have never seen such a strange variation of color before, turned the shops sign to the side that reads 'Open'. She had been looking forward to this day- it was finally Friday! That meant that the next day she'd be able to let herself sleep in and take care of the house. It needed a good cleaning. After all, with all the books in the front portion of the house, dust collects rather easily!

Before that though, she had an extra-long day ahead of her. While Fridays meant the weekend and relaxation for the next two days, it also meant a ten-hour work day. With her library/bookstore closing around seven that evening, she'd only have enough time to get to the nearest grocery store, pick up her food for the weekend and following Monday, get more food for the polar bear, and be back in time to watch her favorite hockey team. It is winter after all- the time of year for cuddling up on a comfy sofa with a warm blanket, a cup of hot cocoa, and a good book (or good hockey game).

"Kumajiro, think you can take care of everything for a minute or two?"

Kuma would always deny that he enjoyed listening to his master/best friend and her soft, gentle voice. That didn't mean he wouldn't indulge in it whenever he could, though.

"Hm? Who? …" he asked in his confused tone. Yes, he is a polar bear and he can talk. Hey, Madeline can carry him with ease, so it's ok.

"Hehe, Maddie…" Madeline nervously chuckled. She was long since passed trying to figure out how her friend spoke the human language. She chuckled like she expected someone to jump out of nowhere and spook her. _"Why can't Kuma ever remember who I am? I can't help but feel like I'm about to cry!"_ Maddie screamed in her head.

"Um, do you think you can watch over things here for a minute or two?"

"Sure…where?"

"Here."

"Sure…why?"

"I need to get something from the basement!"

"Okay…" and at that, Kuma stood watch over the humble library while Maddie made her way to the basement to get her homemade decorations for the store front.

While it is mainly a library, if people wish to, they can buy the books as well as accessories for their phones, books, or just random things, like candy or small children toys.

Coming back up the front of her library, she was pleased to see that she already had one possible customer. Putting her snowflake decorations behind the cash register, she walked to the tall man until she was a few feet away from him.

Putting on her best smile, she quietly cleared her throat before speaking.

"Hello sir, and welcome to the Bonnefoy Library &amp; Shop! May I help you?"

"_Okay, good going me! I didn't stutter!"_ Maddie congratulated herself.

The man who had silver hair and slightly reddish purple eyes almost jumped at the sudden sound of her voice. Turning his head towards the direction he had heard the sound, he stared…and stared…and kept staring for a full three minutes till he finally saw her!

"_I can't blame him…"_ Maddie silently sighed.

"Hm? Oh, da! Please be helping! I am looking for a…cookbook?…Da! A Russian cookbook! You have, da?" he asked in a surprisingly soft, childish voice, a slightly creepy smile plastered on his face.

Maddie wanted to ask him to stop smiling at her. She couldn't help but feel that he was forcing himself to smile, and she hadn't even known him for five minutes! …Scratch that, she didn't even know him!

"Hello~? Is anyone home~?"

His voice closer to her ear and his face closer to hers made her jump and squeak.

"Eep! Eh? Ah! Y-yes, I-I-I'm home!" she couldn't help the blush that exploded on her face. Great, juuuuuuust great. She had already managed to stutter and seem like a space-case.

"Hehehe~. You need not fear me. I am friendly. You understand?"

"S-Sorry. I was just lost in my thoughts and before I realized it, you were right in front of me. Um, R-Russian cookbook? I'm not sure. I'll go look now. Please feel free to browse around!"

And with that, Maddie left to look for what her rather large customer requested.

Letting his eyes wander after the little, practically invisible, Canadian, he found his eyes wandering from her to the place he had just walked into. Ivan Braginsky, quite possibly the largest living person from his home country, Russia, wondered why he had stepped into the small bookstore. Sure it had a homey feel to it, but it was relatively small as compared to chain bookstores he had been in. He highly doubted that what he was looking for would be found here.

"Sir, I've located the item you wished to see!" and with that soft, barely audible call from across the bookstore came the little Canadian.

He almost let his mouth fall open in silent shock. Almost.

"Thanks much, da! Is exactly what I was searching for. How much will I need to give for book?"

Taking in more of his appearance for a bit, Madeline sighed quietly. She couldn't believe what she was about to do…

"You can have it for free. To be honest, I still don't know how we got ahold of that cookbook, and since I didn't think anyone would want it, I never put a price on it. It's yours. Do you want a bag to hold it in? Just in case it falls into the snow," Maddie rambled on.

"This book…free? Da?"

"Yes, it's free. Think of it as your first gift from the neighborhood!"

"I believe I have much thanking to do now, da?" Ivan couldn't help but ask. It's not like he was poor, and the Canadian is right- asking for a Russian cookbook in the middle of Canada is…strange, to say the least.

Shaking his head, he refused.

"I cannot take such a precious thing for free. I will give you some money and you will accept it, da?" he asked in what he thought was a polite tone.

To the socially-dead Canadian, however, it sounded more threatening than ever.

"S-S-S-S-S-SURE! N-N-N-NO PROBLEM!" Maddie shouted in her way too soft voice.

Ivan thought that she was done whispering. Sweat-dropping a bit at her increased stutter, Ivan let his gaze drop from her as he looked around the library/bookstore more. He couldn't help but note how…lonely…it seemed.

Maybe the two of them were actually alike.

* * *

Annnnd she rips out a new one! :D I can't wait to see where this one goes. :3 I'm very excited for it~! I do ship PrussiaxFem!Canada as well as RussiaxFem!China, but I also like this pairing. **Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to all who bothered reading, reviewing, favoriting and following~! . Though only one person has bothered to review and one person has bothered following it, I'm happy that you want an update! I also want to continue this story, regardless of the feedback I get, so here goes the long awaited chapter 2! :D

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Hetalia.**

Chapter 2: More Browsing…

After giving what he thought was a sufficient amount for the Russian Cookbook, Ivan decided that he was going to take a look at all the books that he could while the store was open. He had noticed the time that the store opened and closed and was satisfied to know that he'd get a good long day of reading in.

He forgot one important factor though…

"…_Of course every book is in French…At least all the ones I'm finding…Guess I have no choice but to ask the librarian for help."_ Ivan sighed as his train of thought came to a stop.

Leaving the aisle of books he was currently in, he carefully made his way over to the cashier, where he'd left the cookbook after telling Maddie that he wanted to look some more, only to see that she wasn't there. And it's not that, 'She's not there because she's invisible'. It's that she had moved over to the display window in order to put her snowflakes up as decoration.

"_Ah, there she is. …I wonder if she needs help?"_ Ivan thought.

Just as he was about to call out to get her attention, Maddie tripped over a small stack of books that Kuma had put there earlier in order to open up a footpath for customers.

With a small 'EEP!', Maddie was bracing for impact and as she was about to smack right into the floor-!

"_Huh…? Didn't I fall just now? Then how come there's no pain?"_

Opening her eyes, Maddie looked down and saw that a big, calloused hand was holding her around her midsection. Looking up to see who the hand was connected to, she almost squeaked again when she saw that it was none other than her very first customer of the day.

"T-thank goodness…Ah! T-t-thank you v-v-very m-much, sir!" she thanked Ivan.

"It's good that you are not hurt, little one. Good thing I am quick-footed, da?" Ivan joked lightly.

"I-I'm sorry for c-causing a pro-problem," Maddie lowered her head a bit in shame and embarrassment.

Putting her back on her feet, Ivan waved it off with an actual small smile. Seeing that, Maddie felt a bit better and gave a small smile of her own in return. Remembering his forgotten objective, he asked Maddie, "Do you have any more Russian books? Or English? I cannot speak the French language, da."

"O-oh, sure, we have plenty of English books! I don't know if we have any other Russian books, but you never know! It could be hidden away, waiting for the right owner!" Maddie spoke with a firmer voice, since she was talking about books which are her forte.

Glad that she was giving him the information he had requested, Ivan was about to list off some books that he'd be glad to have in his possession to read when another thought entered his mind.

Suddenly, he asked, "What is your name, little one?"

"…_Eh?EEEEEEEHHHHH?! W-WHAT THE MAPLE IS GOING ON?! Wait, wait- calm down Madeline Williams! It's n-not l-l-l-like he's asking you out on a date cause he obviously isn't! So why am I so nervous?! ..Oh, that's right…the only people who actually know my name are those in my family…so four people at most, huh? I guess him asking my name is the equivalent of me being asked out on a date since I'm not used to having to introduce myself to people. Heh heh, that's kinda sad…"_ Maddie's mind exploded.

"Oh, I guess I should introduce myself first. I am Ivan Braginsky and I've actually moved not far from here recently. It's a nice change of scenery for me from home," Ivan said as he thought Maddie was hesitant to give her name. _"Maybe she just isn't used to strangers…"_

"A-ah, my name is Madeline Williams. Feel free to call me Maddie, or Miss Williams, or whatever you're more comfortable with, Mr. Braginsky!"

"Hehe!" Ivan chuckled. "Please, just call me Ivan. I doubt I'm much older than you are, so it feels weird to be called Mister. And I'll just call you Maddie- it's easier to pronounce than Madeline, da?"

Feeling her nervousness ebb away a bit, Maddie was able to produce a small smile on her small face.

"_Thank goodness he's friendly! …Does this mean I just made my very first human friend?! Yay! What a great way to start the weekend!"_ Maddie couldn't help but feel an overwhelming at being noticed and being asked for her name.

"Ah, well, I guess I'll lead you to the English books we have in stock! Please follow me, Mr- I mean, Ivan," Maddie stumbled over the new name she was going to have to put to memory. She couldn't help but feel giddy as the name rolled off her tongue.

"Y-You know, your name is also r-really easy to pronounce, Ivan," Maddie commented as they made their way to the section Ivan assumed was the English section.

"Yes, I guess it is. It's a common name in Russia, so maybe that's why?" Ivan added with a thoughtful expression.

"Maybe," Maddie responded.

After that, they enjoyed silent companionship, only talking a bit in order for Maddie to describe the book that Ivan was currently holding in greater detail than the summary on the back of it.

"…and this book has some common French cuisine that a famous Japanese chef created. Some unknown author translated it into English later on, and I've tried some of the recipes. They are extremely delicious! Even better when my papa makes them! Ah, if you're looking for some other cuisine, then over here there are even some Polish recipes! And then some Hispanic…I think there's even one Indian recipe book. Ah, my papa goes travelling a lot so he's gathered some of these on his own in order to sell them. He says that it's always good to have variety!" Maddie couldn't help but smile as she thought of her father whenever he comes home with some weird dish in hand, saying he made it at the neighbor's house as a surprise for her.

Ivan only stared as the once stuttering nervous-wreck talked without stopping once for a breather. He was about to ask her what she recommended to a novice cook when all of a sudden the front door opened, making the little bell go 'ding-a-ling'.

Not five seconds later a flash of blonde had appeared right next to Maddie and suddenly she was scooped up with a little 'Eh?!' escaping her mouth.

"_Oh, ma petite Madeline douce! Je_ _suis de retour dans le beau pays de France; votre grand-mère se demandait comment vous étiez. Vous devez venir avec moi la prochaine fois! Je ne prendrai pas non pour une réponse~!"_ **(Oh, my sweet little Madeline! I am back from the lovely country of France; your grandmother was wondering how you were. You must come with me next time! I won't take no for an answer~!)** a strange man with a little beard fuzz said as he snuggled up to the small librarian.

"Papa! You're back!" Maddie exclaimed in what could only be an overjoyed voice as she hugged the man.

* * *

Well, I finally managed to get a chapter out! I'm happy I was able to update this! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! **Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to all who have read/reviewed/favorite/followed this fanfiction of mine~! Please enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Hetalia.**

Chapter 3: I'm Back~!

"Papa! You're back!" Maddie exclaimed in what could only be an overjoyed voice as she hugged the man.

"Oh, excuse me! I didn't know that you had a guest!" Papa said as he switched to heavily accented English.

"Da, don't mind me- Maddie was just helping me look at some different cook books," Ivan responded in a polite manner, fake smile set in place.

"Hmhm, I see. My name is Francis Bonnefoy; please call me Mr. Bonnefoy. Ah, Madeline, there's supposed to be a snow storm coming in the afternoon, so what do you think of closing up early today? I'll quick go to the grocery store and then we'll have ourselves a festive weekend! There are a few extra recipes I picked up while in Paris before visiting your _grand-mère _in the countryside. What do you say? I haven't been home in a few weeks anyways, so this is a good time for me to enjoy your pancakes and for you to experience the delicacies outside of Canada!" Francis exclaimed.

"_Why does this man irritate me so much? I have no clue…but I don't like him already,"_ Ivan thought.

"Eh-uh- h-hold on a moment papa! I guess I'll close early…I heard the news saying something similar and it was pretty cold this morning. Well, it'll be a good opportunity for me to tidy up in here also. Ok, then please go and get our food for the weekend, papa. Ah, don't forget food for Monday as well!" Maddie answered.

"But of course _ma petite crêpe_! As if I would forget to give you your required nutrients! I'm not that bad of a papa!" Francis exclaimed, slightly indignant.

"Papa…" Maddie couldn't help the sigh that escaped her.

"Alright, I'm going now Madeline!" Francis shouted into the book shop as he left to get the needed ingredients.

_Ding-a-ling_

"_Sigh…_I'm sorry about that Ivan! I didn't know that he was coming home today! If he was, I would've let you know…" Maddie hung her head in embarrassment at the little show her papa had put on coming home after weeks of being away.

"Hehe, it's okay~! It was interesting to see a man of his age acting so energetically. He is always like that, I take it?"

"Yeah…ah, but he doesn't mean any harm!" Maddie said in hopes of getting rid of some of the tension that had settled after her papa had come and gone like a storm.

"Da, he looks like a very caring person," Ivan said aloud while his inner self was saying, _"What does _mah peteet crayp _even mean?! I can't help but feel like wiping that smirk off of his face…"_

As some of his dark aura was spilling out around him, Maddie was gleefully unaware as she set to closing the shop and finishing her decorations. Satisfied with her work, she turned the shop's sign to show **CLOSED** to those outside. Taking some safety precautions as well, she pulled down the various gate-like fences that would further protect the inventory of the _Bonnefoy Library &amp; Shop._

Feeling dissatisfied with how their time was interrupted and Maddie seemingly forgot about the cook books that she'd recommend to him, Ivan wasn't sure whether he wanted to stick around a bit more or make the long and confusing trek home.

"_Well, at least if I get lost in the storm, I have my usual wear,"_ Ivan wistfully thought.

By 'usual wear', of course he means his tan long winter coat, his scarf, black boots, and even some gloves. While he had heard of how bad the winters (in certain parts) of Canada could get, he doubted that they were worse than where he had previously lived in Siberia.

"Well, I believe I should be off. I'll be back on Monday, Maddie," Ivan said as he was making his way to the door.

"Eh? Ah! Ivan, you shouldn't go out right now-!" Maddie started saying but was cut off as Ivan opened the door.

**(Imagine extremely noisy wind sounds)**

Closing the door quickly, Ivan was a little more than worried when he found that he couldn't exactly close his eyes.

"Maddie, it appears as though my eyes have been frozen," Ivan started saying as he started shaking like a leaf in the wind.

"Ivan, here! Put this over your eyes and don't move!" Maddie instructed as she handed her frozen customer a damp, hot rag.

Making her way over to the hastily closed door, she fixed the sign quickly before locking both locks on the door. Pulling the shades down over the windows of the little shop, she turned back around to her customer.

"_I guess he's going to be a guest for now though…"_ Maddie shook her head as she thought so. _"Well, papa probably thought so too. He's sturdy enough so I won't have to worry about him coming home safely. I can't wait to see what he'll cook up for lunch and supper today! Of course, I'll be making breakfast…Yep, sounds about right."_

"U-um, Ivan…_IVAN!_" Maddie whisper-yelled.

"D-D-D-Da? What is it, M-Maddie?" Ivan asked through chattering teeth.

"If you would please remove your shoes, please follow me into the next room over."

"D-Da, sure thing…" Ivan was confused. Why does he need to remove his boots? He'll probably freeze without them!

But doing as he was told, he took off the rag after he was sure he could blink again, shrugged his boots off and then followed the small blonde into what he assumed was the living room of the house.

"Please sit down wherever you think you'll be most comfortable, Ivan."

Nodding his head, he sat down on a sturdy looking loveseat. Of course, it was more of an armchair to him than anything else, but it was indeed comfortable to sit in.

Smiling a little at how obedient the large man was being for her, Maddie ran into the kitchen to make some tea for the two of them and some coffee for her papa. After a few minutes, the teas and coffee were ready, so she covered the coffee, making sure to keep it at its' hottest. Putting the two teacups on a small tray with sugar, milk, and honey, she walked into the living room in her comfortable slippers, having gotten rid of her shoes before walking through the house.

"A-Ahem, Ivan, what would you like in your tea? Or would you like something else to drink? Ah, you can use that blanket right there!" Maddie said as she entered the room.

"Tea? For me? Ah, t-thank you very much, Maddie…" Ivan thanked as he accepted the small tea cup with his extra-large hands.

Setting the tray down on the little coffee table, Maddie unfolded one of her coziest blankets, went around the loveseat, and draped the blanket across her foreign guest's shoulders. Moving away, she walked back to the coffee table in order to retrieve her own tea cup. Adding honey to hers, she sat down in her favorite recliner and sipped at her tea.

"It is delicious, Maddie. Thank you very much, da," Ivan said as he sipped on his tea.

Feeling it warm him up from the inside out, Ivan let out a relaxed and satisfied sigh. Giggling a little, Maddie gave him a nod in acknowledgement. Sitting there as the storm raged on outside, the two of them felt at home- of course, for Maddie it was natural for her to feel that way; for Ivan, it was a…new…sensation for him. Even in his new home that was roughly twenty or so minutes away from this place, he had yet to feel completely 'at home' there.

As they finished their tea in a comfortable silence, the storm seemed to quiet for a second before continuing to rage on. Then a knock was heard from the kitchen. Immediately Maddie grabbed a scarf that had been lying on the head of her recliner before making a dash for the other side of the kitchen to open the door and let her poor papa in from the storm.

"GAAAAAHHHH! _Il gèle là-bas!_ Be quick about it, Madeline! Finish bringing in the groceries- I'll put them away. Then I'll go ahead and start the fire before we freeze!" Francis instructed in a rush.

"PAPA! I'll get the groceries and you'll put them away. HOWEVER, I will be taking care of the fire- I don't want the house to be burned down in this storm!" Maddie shot back at her papa as she got her boots on. Then, bracing herself for the cold, she ran out into the storm in order to gather the rest of the groceries from her papa's car trunk.

"Hmph~…she could at least let me take care of SOME things other than cooking around this house…my sweet little crepe is bullying me, Kumajiro!" Francis complained to the polar bear who had been dosing in the kitchen since Ivan had come into the shop earlier.

Taking his snowy coat and scarf off, he walked into the living room, about to slip from his boots to his slippers when he almost fell over in shock.

"M-M-M-MADELINE BROUGHT HOME A G-G-G-G-GUY?! _Il ne peut pas être vrai!_

* * *

Well, isn't this a nice change? Two chapters in one day! :D Though I had started on the second chapter yesterday, this third chapter was started today. :3 Here's a little translation for the different French terms throughout this chapter~!

**Translations:**

_grand-mère= _grandmother

_ma petite crêpe_ = my little crepe

_Il gèle là-bas! _= It's freezing out there!

_Il ne peut pas être vrai! =_ It can't be true!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! **Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

For those who are actually reading this fic, sorry for the long wait! DX On the other hand, thanks for sticking around and reading this!

Thanks to all who have read/reviewed/favorited/followed this fanfic of mine! Please enjoy this chapter as well!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Hetalia.**

Chapter 4: Who are you and what are you doing here?!

"M-M-M-MADELINE BROUGHT HOME A G-G-G-G-GUY?! _Il ne peut pas être vrai!"_

"…" As much as Ivan wanted to say something back, whether to assure the crazy Frenchman that his daughter wasn't in any danger of him trying to form a relationship with her or if he just wanted to shut the man up, Ivan was doing his best to continue calmly sipping his tea.

"_It isn't as good as _мой старший сестра_, but it's still a pretty good hot drink. Now if only my arms could warm back up…And as much as I don't want to be intruding on Maddie or her _сумасшедший_ father, maybe I should try and start up that fire."_

Just as Ivan was starting to move to put his tea down on the little coffee table and was trying to get up off the comfortable loveseat, Maddie came back in, looking almost as white as Kumajiro. If not for her red and white scarf, she probably would have ended up blending in with the white blizzard outside. Snow was sticking to her soft wavy hair, her glasses, her scarf- snow was sticking to her all over. And while she would have been a bit warmer with a jacket or gloves on, she needed to be able to quickly grasp the grocery bags, and bulky winter gloves wouldn't let her do that. Putting the jacket on would have let more snow blow into her father's car's trunk and onto the perishable items.

So with slightly trembling fingers, Maddie made it to the kitchen countertop quickly enough and raced back out, not wanting to completely track snow all over the place. And with her entrance and exit through the kitchen door, Francis was snapped out of his state of shock and momentarily put his shock at the back of his mind, deciding to focus solely on getting the food put away.

A minute later and Maddie was back in the house with another armful of bags; two minutes later and those bags were emptied and put away. After another five minutes, all the bags of food were in the house and Maddie was starting on the fire. Although her movements were shaky and slightly off due to the frigidness of the outdoors, she was still able to get the fire started in the brick fireplace, setting the safety cover in front she let herself sit down and enjoy the warmth of the starting fire.

"Oh, il est vraiment à la recherche d'un hiver rigoureux cette année, eh papa?"

"Vous avez raison, ma petite crêpe. Eh bien, je l'ai déjà commencé à travailler sur un ragoût et quelques petits pains faits maison. Bien sûr, je peux en faire une soupe et ai fait quelque chose d'autre si vous le souhaitez?"

"Ah, ce est très bien papa! Votre ragoût est délicieux, et honnêtement qui sonne comme le repas parfait pour le dîner de ce soir. Je vais faire la salade?"

"Mais bien sûr! Vous êtes mon aide, après tout. Et tandis que je ne faire assez pour notre invité ... ... euh, vous deux n'êtes pas amoureuse, droit?! "

"EH?! Papa! Je peux vous assurer qu'il est juste un client! Eh bien, il est un invité pour le moment, mais qui est tout simplement parce que ce serait cruel de lui envoyer dans ce temps_._"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Francis let a soft smile decorate his face as he set about getting the bread rolls ready. They wouldn't be completely ready until sometime between lunch and dinner, so they would be used for dinner and perhaps tomorrow afternoon.

"_I'll probably be making something different for lunch tomorrow. I'm not so sure that this stew will be enough for all of us if we want seconds…"_ and knowing his daughter and Kumajiro, not to mention himself, seconds would be greatly appreciated.

"Madeline!"

"Yes papa?"

"Would you mind helping me cut up the rest of the ingredients please? Or do you need to warm up a bit more?"

"…I'll help."

Smiling to herself, Maddie took another sip of her slightly cooled tea before getting up off the carpeted floor and, after sending a quick glance towards Ivan who looked like he was close to snoozing, joined her father in their kitchen.

"Do you think it'll be ready by dinner time, papa?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Oui, I know it will and the rolls should be ready by then as well. As for lunch, I'll make us all a quick soup. But first, I need to get the stew cooking! Now! Please dice those vegetables and once you're done with that, start cubing the meat please."

"Oui papa."

And so the father-daughter duo prepared their meals for lunch and supper, all the while helping Ivan doze off since Maddie had a rather soft, pleasant voice to listen to while her father had a deep, rumbling voice that wasn't hard on the ears either. Put that together with the smells of cooking coming from the kitchen and the little sounds of knives on a cutting board or water being put into a pot, Ivan didn't notice as Kumajiro found his way up on the loveseat on Ivan's lap, deciding that would be a nice place to snooze for a while- at least until food was ready.

* * *

An hour later and Ivan was woken up by the smell of food. Blinking the sleep away from his eyes, he stretched a bit, letting his back and shoulders pop before letting out a satisfied grunt. Looking down at his lap, he saw that the polar bear from before… "_Kumajiro?_" was on his lap still snoozing.

Letting a quiet chuckle slip out, Ivan was about to gently move the bear from off of him before Maddie came into the living room, a soft smile on her face.

"Kuma, the food is ready," and instantly the bear was off of Ivan and racing towards the kitchen.

"Ivan, I hope you don't mind eating vichyssoise. My papa is very good at making it, and it warms the body right up. Ah, um, i-i-if you need to, the t-t-t-t-toilet is rightdownthehallonyourleft!Whenyou'redonepleasecomeandjoinusinthekitchen!" and with that Maddie ran back into the kitchen, her face a flaming red.

Ivan would have laughed out loud at how funny it was, but at the mention of the toilet, he was quick to get up and make his way down the hall. Once his business was finished, he joined them as Maddie had asked of him in the kitchen.

Now with only three people sitting at a table, no matter where you sit you will still be sitting next to everyone else. Francis was slightly upset about this since it meant that no matter how hard he tried to rearrange the seats, Ivan would still somehow wind up sitting next to his daughter. Sure, he'd also be sitting next to Francis, but Francis couldn't block him off from his daughter!

"_Argh! Darn cette table ronde! Je devrais avoir obtenu un carré d'un lieu ... maintenant mon pauvre Madeline est assis juste à côté de cet étranger!__"_

Maddie didn't mind it too much- she was still a little embarrassed though that she had offered to a grown man the right to use the toilet…Even if it's in her own home and she has that authority, it doesn't make it any less awkward when the man you're talking to looks somewhat amused by the fact that you need to instruct him where to go.

When Ivan sat down at the table, both Francis and Maddie jumped a little. For Francis, it was because the bowls of soup were rattled a little. For Maddie, it was because not only did she realize that Ivan was a tad larger than their table, but also because since he was well built, they were practically brushing shoulders every time one of them took a breath.

After doing their pre-meal rituals of sorts, they each dug into the delicious looking soup. Maddie was savoring the warmth and deliciousness of the meal while her father enjoyed the look of bliss on her face. Ivan enjoyed the familial feeling that was practically radiating off of the soup, and when he finally took his first spoonful, his taste buds did a little happy dance. Kumajiro was enjoying his serving of soup as well, just on the floor.

In seemingly no time at all the meal was done and the soup was finished off. The smell of bread baking was wafting through the entire room, and Ivan had to admit that he couldn't wait to taste the rolls if they tasted just as nicely as they smelled. Maddie was quick to reassure him and Francis let a little laugh escape his lips at how his daughter wanted to make sure that any and all negative thoughts of his cooking were quickly dispelled.

A few hours later of quietly watching the news for weather updates, and switching between Discovery channel and the History channel, mixed with some extra quiet time for reading and the little group was sitting at the dinner table once more, eager to feast on Francis' stew and homemade bread rolls. To top it off, Maddie made everyone a cup of hot chocolate as they all sat down to watch the latest hockey game.

Ivan was surprised to see the soft-spoken Canadian getting all riled up by the game, and Maddie was also surprised to see the strong yet quiet Russian getting riled up over a hockey game.

"_At least he/she has good taste," _they both thought while letting the game keep them captivated.

Five missed goals and three points later and Francis put his foot down. It was time to head off to bed and get snuggled under the blankets. It was also time to ready the pullout couch so that Ivan could sleep somewhere for the night. While Francis was wary about letting a stranger stay at their home, he couldn't deny a fellow human warmth and shelter from the frigid weather outside. There was that, but there was also the undeniable fact that his daughter had opened up to the stranger, if only a little and if only because of hockey.

"_Perhaps this is a good encounter for Madeline…well, I'd better go to sleep soon if I want to wake up in time to see her making her pancakes!"_ and with that last thought, Francis Bonnefoy headed up the stairs to his own room for the night.

* * *

**Translations: All translations, except for those pointed out, are in French!**

_Il ne peut pas être vrai! _= It can't be true!

мой старший сестра = my older sister's (Russian)

сумасшедший = crazy (Russian)

_Oh, il est vraiment à la recherche d'un hiver rigoureux cette année , eh papa?_ = Oh dear, it really is looking to be a harsh winter this year, eh papa?

_Vous avez raison , ma petite crêpe. Eh bien, je l'ai déjà commencé à travailler sur un ragoût et quelques petits pains faits maison . Bien sûr, je peux en faire une soupe et ai fait quelque chose d'autre si vous le souhaitez__?_ = You're right, my little pancake. Well, I've already started working on a stew and some homemade bread rolls. Of course, I can make it into a soup and have something else made if you'd like?

_Ah, ce est très bien papa! Votre ragoût est délicieux, et honnêtement qui sonne comme le repas parfait pour le dîner de ce soir. Je vais faire la salade__?_ = Ah, that's just fine papa! Your stew is delicious, and honestly that sounds like the perfect meal for dinner tonight. I'll make the salad?

_Mais bien sûr! Vous êtes mon aide, après tout. Et tandis que je ne faire assez pour notre invité ... ... euh, vous deux n'êtes pas amoureuse, droit?!_ = But of course! You are my helper, after all. And while I did bring enough for our…guest…uh, you two aren't romantically involved, right?!

_Je peux vous assurer qu'il est juste un client! Eh bien, il est un invité pour le moment, mais qui est tout simplement parce que ce serait cruel de lui envoyer dans ce temps._ = I can assure you he's just a customer! Well, he's a guest for now but that's simply because it'd be cruel to send him out in this weather.

_Oui_ = Yes

_Argh! Darn cette table ronde! Je devrais avoir obtenu un carré d'un lieu ... maintenant mon pauvre Madeline est assis juste à côté de cet étranger!_= Argh! Darn this round table! I should have gotten a square one instead…now my poor Madeline is sitting right next to this stranger!

YAY! :3 I updated it…hehehe, that makes me happy. :3 For those of you who have been waiting for it, here it is! For those of you who couldn't care less…uh, here it is and I hope it entertained you for a bit. Sorry if the translations were slightly off! **Please review!**


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